


As Long As You Learn

by EmeraldHeiress



Series: Shards of Kyber [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Don't copy to another site, Gen, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Padawan Anakin Skywalker, Suicidal actions, Threats, Time Travel Fix-It, Tired Mace Windu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:28:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26394907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldHeiress/pseuds/EmeraldHeiress
Summary: The world swims and he’s on his knees and Obi-Wan’s not sure how he got there. Around him, the Council chamber echoes with grunts of pain as others find themselves in similar positions. Half the Council is slumped in their chairs, hands to their head.And once again Anakin blazes, bright as a star.
Relationships: Aayla Secura & Anakin Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker & Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker & Quinlan Vos, Anakin Skywalker & Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Series: Shards of Kyber [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1847170
Comments: 55
Kudos: 697





	As Long As You Learn

**Author's Note:**

> Obligatory Time Travel AU

The world swims and he’s on his knees and Obi-Wan’s not sure how he got there. Around him, the Council chamber echoes with grunts of pain as others find themselves in similar positions. Half the Council is slumped in their chairs, hands to their head. **  
**

Even Qui-Gon, standing next to him, with perhaps only a few days of new memories is not unaffected. 

And once again Anakin blazes, bright as a star. _Whole_ and _young_ and —

The boy is curled up on the marble, arms over his head, sobbing.

 _Kriff_.

He reaches for his padawan. Twenty years and death ~~sacrifice~~ not enough to dull the love and protection he feels for Anakin. A century wouldn’t be enough. Millennia.

He pulls him into his arms, startled when the boy fights him.

“No!” Anakin tumbles to the floor again, a consequence of his own struggle. “Don’t!” 

Tears shine in bright blue — _blue_ — eyes. Obi-Wan’s heart aches to see them. 

“Anakin—”

The boy looks away.

“You can’t—”

The doors to the Council chamber crash open and others spill into the room. Pale and trembling, obviously the victims of the same event. Quinlan leads the charge.

He stalks right towards Obi-Wan and Anakin. The hiss of a lightsaber igniting makes everyone freeze.

The bright green of the blade glows as the kriffar holds it at Anakin’s neck. A threat or a promise, Obi-Wan doesn’t know. But Anakin only kneels.

“Do it.” He says, voice broken. His chin lifts. A challenge or a request? It makes Obi-Wan’s stomach turn to see.

There’s a flash of something in Quin’s eyes as he stares at the child that was once his nephew. That could be again. The boy he had helped sneak out for ice cream. Whose hand he had held when sick. The boy that he had taught Djem So. 

The boy they had all failed.

The lightsaber died.

Anakin snarled, anger and pain swirling in the Force around them.

“Do it!” Desperation coating his voice, “You know I deserve it! Get it over with! Save this timeline before it falls again! Before I Fall again!”

“ _Anakin_.” Obi-Wan wants to reach for him again but can’t bring himself to make contact. Not after being denied. 

“Do you know how she died?” The boy gasps, around his tears. “All alone on an empty planet. The men she loved pointing blasters at her back. At the command of the Sith Lord?” 

A muscle in Quin’s jaw clenches and gasps echo through the hall.

Aayla. 

He _would_ bring her up. Anakin always knew where to hit the hardest.

“Shut up, cousin.” A soft voice calls from the doorway. Aayla rolls her eyes as she comes to stand next to her master.

“Do better this time, we will.” Yoda states firmly, hobbling up next to the group. He looks compassionately at the kneeling boy. 

“Master Windu?” Anakin tears his gaze away and turns haunted eyes on the other Master. “ _Please_.”

The man rises painfully from his seat and walks over to the boy, kneeling next to him. A serious look in his eyes as his gaze rakes over the mess of a child in front of him.

“Master Yoda is right. We’ll do better this time, padawan.” Anakin slumps, falling back on his heels. “Come get your kid, Kenobi.”

Obi-Wan reaches down and scoops Anakin into his arms again. This time, Anakin clings.


End file.
